


Jealousy

by Schattenmalerin



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Jonathan and Nancy are together, Multi, Past Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Steve is jealous and confused, all sweet and innocent, and absolutely adorable, past season 2, therefore spoilers for season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 03:21:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12998757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schattenmalerin/pseuds/Schattenmalerin
Summary: Seeing Nancy and Jonathan together, Steve can't help but feel jealousy rise in his chest - though sometimes he isn't so sure if he's jealous of Jonathan or rather Nancy.





	Jealousy

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction to Stranger Things and it is settled after season 2, so be aware of some spoilers for season 2.  
> I really like the constellation of Nancy/Jonathan/Steve and I get a few ideas to expand this oneshot to a small series, but no promises made.
> 
> English isn't my first language, so there's always the possibility for some mistakes and I'm also hoping, that it isn't too out of character (first fanfiction in a new fandom is always a challenge for me).
> 
> Comments are always welcome just as constructive critisism.

Most of the days it was easy to determine who he was jealous of.

Like on those days Nancy looked even more beautiful with her soft brown hair slightly pinned up, so that a few strands hanged loosely around her pretty face. 

Or when she was in class, answering a difficult question with that smart and knowing look in her eyes - and Steve would have never thought he would be into it, but "smartass" Nancy was quite hot.

Or when she had stood there in Byers house, rifle in her hands and ready to shoot every one of those demo-dogs, as Dustin insisted to call them. And "badass" Nancy was even hotter.

Or when she was wearing that damn stupid jacket of Jonathan on cold days, that was too long for her small slender body but looked so incredibly good on her. He just wished it would be _his own_ jacket around her shoulders. And _his_ arms around her. _His_ lips against hers. 

_Steve sighed and took a look at his smartphone. 2.34 am in the night and instead of sleeping his thoughts ran wild in his head. And of course they focused on the same two people like every other night for the last six weeks. Gonna be a great night ..._

Since their little talk while preparing for defeating the demogorgon Nancy and he haven't talked about their relationship - or where they both were standing. Although it wasn't quite neccessary: Steve told her to go with Jonathan that night, to be there for him, knowing this would also mean to let her go. And he meant it, he really did, because he has had his chance with her and he fucked up and she moved on to someone who might be better for her. But letting her willingly go, giving her up didn't mean he was already over her.

So every now and then when seeing Nancy and Jonathan together, laughing and being happy, holding hands or even kissing, he felt that poking feeling of jealousy rise in his chest.

Which was hurtful, but understandable: Another guy got his girl and all he could do was watch them being all happy-in-love.  
It was painful, but it would be okay. Being jealous of Jonathan Byers because he was with Nancy would be okay. It was reasonable. 

What was not, what was confusing as fuck for Steve, were those few moments where his jealousy began to blur and to shift. 

He didn't know why but it began a few months after they managed to close that gate to the upside-down. Normality had settled in, at least as good as it could be back to normal after all they've went through, and Steve, having kind of lost his purpose after the breakup with Nancy had decided to take care of Dustin and his friends. To be honest, after babysitting them and protecting them against the demo-dogs, he grew quite fond of these little shitheads. 

So somehow he ended up giving them rides to the arcade whenever they wanted to go or playing one of their many strange nerdy board games he didn't understand but nonetheless quite liked to participate in - even if he wouldn't admit it to the kids. He also made sure to check up on Max about the situation with her stepbrother, that fucking asshole Billy, because even if he got knocked out last time he would take Billy on again, if it would be neccessary to keep the kids safe and away from him. Although Max somehow seemed to have the situation under control, as far as she assured him. 

He himself didn't get more than a few angry and pissed glances from new school king Billy and who would he be to get into contact with this idiot again if not neccessary. 

So between avoiding king asshole Hargrove, playing babysitter for the kids and trying not to be too traumatized by all the things they went through, there was this weird situation between him, Nancy and Jonathan. 

Or to be explicit the weird situation between him, the way he should feel and the way he actually felt sometimes, all mixed up when seeing Nancy and Jonathan.

And seeing them he did a lot lately, not least because he was babysitting the kids, which included automatically Nancy's little brother Mike and Jonathan's brother Will. The situation between them, well it could be worse considering the fact, that he really hadn't been the nicest guy to Jonathan just a few years back. Well, he was a total asshole back then, let's get that clear. 

But he changed, and apparently Jonathan recognized that too. Of course they haven't become best friends over night and Steve doubted that this would even be a possibility - although he sometimes found himself wondering how it would be to hang around more with Jonathan - but at least Jonathan didn't hate him anymore. He still was reserved around Steve, but it wasn't because of hostility anymore but more due to his normal shy personality. It was probably a big plus that little Byers liked him. 

Steve could work with that, he could try to gain his trust, to get Jonathan used to having him around, he could ...

_He slapped himself mentally and pulled at his hair at the intruding thought._

Why would he even want to hang around with Jonathan? With the boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend (he was still into)?  
Billy must've messed up something inside his brain when he'd punched him into the ground. There was no other explanation (at least no other he liked to admit).

Nontheless he couldn't deny the way he felt around Nancy and Jonathan. Somehow drawn to her, like a moth to the light, but then again, on rare occasions, he felt his interest shift, his eyes wandering from Nancy's wide smile to Jonathan's shy one, from curly long brown hair to shorter one, from blue eyes that always returned his gaze to dark brown ones that rather avoided his own. 

Suddenly he could answer the question he asked himself at the time Nancy first broke up with him: "What did she see in Byers?"

Except his quite attractive look despite his gloomy and reserved aura (or rather _thanks to it_?) - and Steve nearly choked on his food the first time he called Byers "attractive" in his own thoughts - he was nice and honest and reliable, responsible; character traits Steve only encountered in himself as he had been thrown in a situation where he needed to take care of Dustin and later the other kids.

He shouldn't notice such things, notice Byers cute smile or his even cuter dimples or his nice eyes and pretty face. And if he did, he should feel jealous or pissed or mad, but instead he felt _drawn_ to him. Like he felt drawn to Nancy ... It was unnerving, this whole situation, and confusing and maddening, being jealous of Jonathan, but then again also being jealous of Nancy.

Especially when Jonathan was hiding his face behind his camera, looking all concentrated and professional through his lens - and hell, Steve had to admit that this whole " _taking-pictures-and-saving-memories_ "-hobby of Byers had his on charm to it - trying to get the perfect picture of the kids running around in the garden or playing one of their strange "ghostbusters" games, where they would hunt imaginary ghosts and other stuff Steve really didn't understand but nontheless found adorable.

And although Jonathan tried desperately to take pictures of everyone equally, tried not to focuse too long on a special someone, Steve saw right through his facade, saw how many times the camera lens was focused on Nancy to catch one of her beautiful smiles or the sparkle in her blue eyes when she was looking towards the sun.

And he got jealous again, but this time jealous of Nancy. Because, understandably, Jonathan's whole attention was focused on her and her only and Steve ... Steve clearly didn't understood him or his weird feelings at all, but somehow he wanted some of Byers attention for himself, his eyes on him, his shy smile directed at him, when he found a particularily good picture to tak e. 

And it made him feel like a wreck. 

Being jealous of Byers because he wanted Nancy - okay, understandable. 

Being jealous of Nancy, the girl he still felt something for, because a weird part of his brain somehow "wanted" Jonathan - not that okay and fucking confusing.

But being jealous of both of them, because wanting both - completely off-the-charts.

_Steve sighed frustrated and turned around in his bed for the tenth time this night, right before giving up on sleep and staring at the dark ceiling._

Why him? And why this way? Why Byers? Why couldn't he just fall in love with one of the numerous girls in school that are interested in him? Like the blonde one from chemistry course? Or the redhead from maths class?

 _Steve slightly shook his head, a bitter taste in his mouth._

Because those girls were neither Nancy Wheeler ... nor Jonathan Byers.


End file.
